The invention concerns a linear connector of plastic material for joining hollow of metal consisting spacing profiles of multiple insulating glasses, comprising a flat, longitudinal body, which is insertable into the hollow space of the one spacing profile and the hollow space of the other spacing profile of the two spacing profiles which are to be connected to one another. The surface of that body is provided with abutment elements in form of elastic braking blades inclined to the surface and abutting during the insertion of the linear connector into the spacing profiles against the profile front faces opposite to one another. Moreover, the body is provided with blade-like springs extending from their small lateral sides which should increase the frictional force between the surface of the body and the inner wall surface of the spacing profiles. The longitudinal body comprises a completely or almost completely U-configured cross-section for the passage of a hygroscopic drying substance powder within this cross-section as well as in the center of its length on both small lateral sides protuberance-like reinforcing elements extending outwardly and in order to reinforce the body radially. These reinforcing elements are opposed by braking blades which will be pressed down by the front faces of the spacing profiles upon the insertion of the body into the hollow space of the spacing profiles. Moreover, these braking blades form an abutment for the spacing profile front faces upon insertion so that the insertion is stopped by them.
Linear connectors of the above mentioned kind are known from German Utility Model Registrations 8,816,799 and 9,216,955. These known linear connectors, however, are provided in mounted condition with certain drawbacks according to which they do not keep the spacing profiles together in an extent requested. Thus, it happens that the gap between the spacing profiles connected to one another opens so that hygroscopic drying substance powder enclosed in the hollow space of the profiles runs through this gap into the space between the two insulating glass panes polluting the same.
The above mentioned drawbacks are also not avoided by linear connectors for joining two parallel hollow spacing profile tracks according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,582, although they are provided with two pairs of two distantly separated, parallel legs extending in longitudinal direction of the spacing profile tracks and joined by an abutment rib extending across the longitudinal legs, which abutment rib is provided with front faces being engaged by the front faces of the hollow profile spacing tracks, if the linear connector is in mounted condition. Because this linear connector is not provided on its surface with pressure spring elements, however, the forces keeping the spacing profiles connected at the joining gap are rather weak.
A further linear connector known from German Patent 19,522,505 intended to be used especially for joining spacing profiles of steel comprises doubtlessly the requested strong seat as well as the required stiffness and resistance against abrashion and is also provided with abutments avoiding pushing too far on the insertion of the linear connector body into the hollow space of the spacing profiles. Nevertheless it has certain drawbacks concerning the requested sealing of the space between the glass panes in the area of the joining gap of the spacing profiles. The problems concerning that seal are especially due in case the hygroscopic powder substance as used is characterized by a grain analysis having a particularly high portion of fine grains. These fine grains possibly enter through the mentioned joining gap into the space between the glass panes and thus pollute the panes in an extent not tolerable. Moreover, it has been found out that under the above mentioned conditions the multiple insulating glass cannot fullfill its insulating purpose over long time.
In order to avoid the above mentioned drawbacks blade-like springs are used on the surface of such linear connectors increasing the frictional effect between the linear connector and the spacing profiles in order to keep the joining gap closed. These springs should be constructed such, however, that they keep their tension after mounting in an extent required for maintaining their pressure onto the inner wall surface of the spacing profiles.
The above mentioned requirements, however, are not completely fullfilled by the known linear connectors of the above mentioned kind.
It is therefore an object of the invention to develop the linear connector of the above mentioned kind further in order to improve the sealing effect between the body of the linear connector at the joining gap and the bodies of the spacing profiles which are to be joined.
In this connection it is a further object of the invention to manufacture the linear connector by using a lesser quantity of plastic material without effecting negatively its function, i.e. especially its stability and its resistance against bending forces.
According to a still further object of the invention it is intended to configure the springs such that their tension after the mounting of the linear connector in the hollow space of the spacing profiles is retained to an extent required in order to keep the joining gap between the spacing profiles as close as possible and in this connection to avoid any decrease of the tension of the springs after mounting and thus any decrease of the friction between the plastic material of the linear connector and the surrounding metal of the spacing profiles.
These and other objects of the invention are solved by a construction characterized in that essentially all blade-like extending springs are configured as double springs, comprising two spring blades arranged behind one another and forming together in general a V-configuration and supporting themselves after the linear connector having been mounted in the spacing profile in a mutual manner, and further characterized in that the protuberance-like reinforcing elements at the bottom of the longitudinal body are configured and arranged such that they form a bar against passing of the hygroscopic drying substance powder outwardly of the U-configured cross-section of the linear connector body.
Because of the supporting effect of that spring blade of each double spring being located in longitudinal direction behind after mounting of the connector body which has a greater angle of inclination to the longitudinal axis of the body as the front spring blade, the latter one develops an additional resistance against deformation without deminishing its spring suspension. This resistance is caused by the fact that the two spring blades are provided at the small lateral sides of the body having a common root and form, respectively. Thus, at the tip of the V an accumulation of material is provided introducing to the front spring blade a repulsion force without changing negatively its flexibility and the spring blade behind is functioning as a support to the front spring blade.
Concerning the protuberance-like reinforcing elements which are known per from the prior art and which are opposed by at least one abutment element in form of elastic brake blades inclined to the center of the body it ist true that during the insertion of the connector body into the hollow space of the spacing profiles these brake blades are pressed downwardly and are thereby plastically deformed. Thus, the reinforcing elements are configured and arranged such that they additionally perform a sealing function in the abutment area of the spacing profile body with respect to the hygroscopic drying substance powder passing through the hollow space of that body.